Crew of a Kind
by Gentle Breezes
Summary: Each of them are one of a kind, and together they make one crew of a kind. A series of vignette on how each person talks and acts with another within the time frame of the first game. Next chapter "Shopping" is up!
1. Engine Troubles

**Disclaimer for this vignette and all those following: **I'm not the creator of Final Fantasy XII. The game is the property of Square Enix and all people working on the team for this game. ^U^

**Title: **"Engine Troubles"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **674

**Characters: **Fran and Balthier. A bit of obvious Fran/Balthier. *snort*

**Description: **The Strahl, being the fickle darling she can be, is having a bit of engine trouble. The two well-known sky pirate begin repairs, as well as the usual playful exchange of words.

* * *

"Put these over there, my dear," he says casually, handing her two very oily wrenches. She takes them, unafraid of messes or stains, and places them on a thick cloth before turning her attention back to her partner. He is currently absorbed with repairing his beloved Strahl, lying under the engine to try and fix one of the many problems that she's had of late.

"Oh, this ship," he mutters with slight disdain from under the machinery. "She never gives me the time of day."

"Better to get a new one then?" Fran teases with a tiny, unseen smile on her lips.

He wheels out from under the engine to look at her in disbelief. "Fran, are you mad? I couldn't possibly give her up!" She looks at him in amusement before he wheels back under, asking for another tool and a few bolts, and then he continues on. "She's an indispensable part of our crew like you, my dear."

She blinks slowly once and looks down at him, or the part of him that's _visible_, and raises an eyebrow.

Sensing her question about the comparison somehow, he elaborates. "Just like you, she's been through many a rough patch. Battles, pirates, unforgiving weather; it's all part of the profession. She's a good fighter and she does her job well, but she hardly ever speaks a word so you can't figure out what's going on unless you do a little digging."

Fran shakes her head slightly, tempted to make a small eye roll at how this comparison was panning out. He's probably smirking under there.

"There's a trick to everything I suppose," he drawls. He wheels out from under the engine again, stands up and dusts himself off, even though there's not much good in that. He's covered from head to toe in black stains, and he'll probably commence complaining about another good shirt ruined in the next few minutes.

He hits the test switch on the engine, but an almost unbearable groan emits from it and he shuts it off with a few curses under his breath.

"At least I don't get this amount of complaining from you," he says nonchalantly.

She breathes out a tiny chuckle, smiling just a little. "But you, sky pirate, never cease complaining."

He turns to face her, mock hurt on his expression. "Why Fran, you wound me. The leading man is obliged to complain about a few things isn't he?"

"Indeed," she says, grabbing the toolbox. "But he is also obliged to do something about it, is he not?"

Mock-grimacing, he playfully snatches the toolbox from her hands and lays back down so he can get under the engine. "Hmph. And of course, unlike this ship, you usually seem to be in the right."

"The leading man's partner must know how to be useful," she says plainly, cleaning off the tools that he's made a mess of.

"Ah-ah Fran," he says, ticking a finger back and forth from under the engine. "The leading _lady_ must know how to be useful." He wheels out from underneath once more, looking up at her with an expression she can't quite name, though he's still wearing that smirk and speaking in the same way as before. "And in all honesty, I have yet to see you fail such a role."

She looks at him and looks at him, the silence stretching on. His smirk softens a little, almost as if he's the only one here, and then disappears under the engine to return to his work. She keeps looking for a moment, a small part of her suddenly feeling just one degree more lonely without that look, and then sits nearby and waits, handing him the occasional tool. She sighs, thinking about the ridiculous man before her who is arrogant and rash and so unlike many other Humes that exist in this world.

And she is happy that of all places in the world, she's with him here on his complaining ship, listening to his Arcadian accent drawl out excuses and general silliness laced with dreams.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I'm doing these vignettes for no particular reason at all; just my own satisfaction. I've wanted to do character interactions for all these guys for a while, and now is my change. I don't usually put descriptions before my vignettes, but I might as well because things will get a little disorganized if I _don't_ slap anything on the top of the page. I'll try to keep these short too. Other than that, I'd love to hear what you think. I will be making interactions between all characters, so *cracks fingers* get ready for some nonsense. XD Next up is a chapter about interaction between our dear Viera and the stone-face queen of Dalmasca, oh boy oh boy.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Kitchen Duty

**Title: **"Kitchen Duty"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,371

**Characters: **Ashe and Fran. No pairings.

**Description:** Ashe peels potatoes, and Fran cooks up wisdom.

* * *

Growing up as a royal, Ashe had always been trained to combat various social situations with grace, like parties she didn't want to go to or gatherings where not everyone agreed with her. Having such a skill was indispensable so that nothing ever felt awkward, and she got used to such security being ever-present in her life.

But being in an atmosphere with Humes was one thing. Being near a Viera who did not speak more than a few sentences a day was quite another.

Nono happened to be sick, so the ship would be missing it's chief mechanic and cook for a few days. While Balthier tended to the ship and its malfunctions, Ashe figured she should do something to help. She didn't know what exactly to help with, seeing as she didn't have a variety of skills to offer, but went to ask everyone anyway. It was early evening, so surely there was still much to be done.

She found Basch first, who was the last one keeping watch at the anchor for the night. When she asked him if he needed help she received the expected response: he didn't need help and that he'd rather she stayed inside where it was safe. This resulted in a mild argument about her saying she wasn't weak and him explaining that of course she wasn't, but it would give him peace of mind to know that Dalmasca's still living queen stayed safe. She couldn't exactly argue with that. And, he added that it would give him peace of mind that she, not just as Dalmasca's queen, but as Ashe the person, stayed out of harm's way. This made her go silent as she contemplated the knight's meaning, and she decided to say no more. He looked too tired to argue anyway, and she wished him goodnight.

Next she went inside to help Penelo, who was tending to Nono. Ashe knew that her healing abilities weren't exactly the best, and discovered that Penelo knew as well because the girl politely declined, saying she already had Vaan to help her. The boy replied that being pulled into helping was a more accurate description, which earned him a scolding from Penelo to be nice and help the poor moogle. He obediently complied, and Ashe decided that maybe it was best if she left this subject where it was.

After this, she went to the engine room and shyly peeked in to see if she could find Balthier. She found him, half of his body hidden under a cylinder connected to the engine. Concealing her laughter at thoughts of Arcadian rascal being a mess and his probable complaints about it, she bent down slightly and asked if he needed any help. He replied by asking if she knew anything about machines. She admitted she didn't, but said timidly she would be willing to learn, her cheeks stained pink when he wheeled out from underneath the cylinder to look at her with a slightly surprised look. He said that under the current circumstances, he was ill-disposed to teach mechanics because he needed to get this done as soon as possible. She wanted to protest by saying they had nowhere they needed to go even if the ship were to be repaired before Nono recovered, but decided not to press on. He flashed her one of his usual smiles, then wheeled himself back under the cylinder and told her that Fran might need some help.

She went off looking for Fran, scolding herself soon after for not having the sense to ask where exactly Fran was. At least the Strahl was not a gigantic ship. When she did find the Viera, she was at work in the kitchen, stirring a few things here and there and chopping away at some vegetables. Ashe's first thought was that whatever Fran was cooking looked like a lot of work. Her second thought was that Balthier was a pig-headed jerk for sending her to a kitchen to do work, somehow feeling undermined as well as completely useless.

Her thoughts snapped off when Fran turned to her, face indifferent as always, and asked if she needed something. In return, the royal commanded her tongue not to stutter as she stated that she would help cook. Fran replied that she did not need help, as the kitchen was small and two people inside might be a predicament. Ashe knew this to be true since there were usually more than 3 people in the kitchen in the morning, and it was always incredibly frustrating. Fran also asked, though with no malice, if Ashe knew how to cook. A little, was the royal's reply, doing her best to hide her slight anger at being asked something that made feelings of incompetence double. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to do with herself now that no one seemed to want her help. Fran must have seen Ashe's expression, because after a moment the Viera said she could help peel some potatoes. It wasn't exactly as helpful as cooking, Ashe thought, but at least it gave her something to do.

As she worked, she turned discretely every so often to watch Fran cook. Learning to cook from observation was her goal, but it didn't work. Fran's hands moved too fast between spices that had so many odd names on their canisters; most weren't even written in standard Rabanastrian. She also didn't know when something should be moved on or off the stove, or if it just went into the oven instead. Fran calmly reminded her that the potatoes needed to be done soon, so Ashe hurried about her business, peeling with little grace and an occasional cut.

After finishing, the Viera took the potatoes and cut them up into pieces with elegant speed, throwing them into a pot. Ashe sighed. Fighting was something she was good at, but there was little else she could do with herself other than navigate or fly a little. Something that surprised her though, was that Fran had said a simple "thank you" when taking the potatoes from her hands. After a moment, Ashe spoke up.

"You said thank you." Fran remained silent, waiting. "...Why?"

"Because you did what you needed to."

"All I did was peel potatoes," she said, trying not to huff as she sat down on a nearby barrel and looked at the stove. "It's not as if I helped to cook."

Without stopping her kitchen duties or looking at Ashe, Fran simply said, "When one does what they can at the time they need to do it, it is more than enough. Even the soldier with a single duty is important to an army, because he has a place and a time to accomplish his purpose."

It didn't immediately strike Ashe that this could be some sort of compliment or bit of wisdom. For reasons even she couldn't completely comprehend, she and Fran had been at odds with each other thus far. One thing Ashe could say applying to herself was that she was in a company of people who unconsciously unnerved her and infuriated her. And as for Fran, it was probably due to the fact that she had suddenly found her and her partner's world full of too much noise and too little space. Ashe even dared to edge alongside the thought that maybe this had to do with the sky pirate, but this was extremely fleeting.

"...Oh," she responded simply.

Ashe guessed that if Fran ever laughed out loud, now would be a time she'd choose to do so. Even after all these years, sometimes there were things the queen still needed to be reminded of. And despite the fact that they had been silently strained in each other's company up to this point, she was happy to receive encouragement from this older woman. Feeling a little more at ease, she asked if she could help by peeling or cutting more things.

Perhaps it was just her, but for a moment she could almost see the Viera smile in knowing amusement as she handed Ashe a few apples, telling her in a few words not to cut herself with the knife.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Doho boy, this was a fun chapter to do. I'm such a silly. 8D These two are very interesting characters, and I wish they'd had more interaction in the game because it would've been fascinating to watch. They didn't have too much of it to begin with. (Note to self: play the game again to figure out if what I'm saying is actually true.) Anyhow, this one is obviously longer than the previous, but not insanely long. The format in this one is different from the previous one as well, and although I tried finding a way around including everyone else, in the end I couldn't come up with anything else. (Maybe I'll shorten it a bit later.) I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I hope it didn't fall over its face in the process of me trying to make this relevant. Feel free to write any kind of feedback you please! This story is hungry for criticism, so drop a comment whether you like the story or not, and I will be most grateful. Next up is interaction between Basch and Vaan. *laughs* I wonder how Basch will deal...

Thank you for reading! Have a pleasant day!


	3. To Be A Man

**Title: **"To Be A Man"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,694

**Characters: **Basch and Vaan. No pairings.

**Description: **Basch becomes a teacher once again, and Vaan becomes a man...sort of.

* * *

Out of all the companions he had on this ship, Vaan couldn't stand being in Basch's company for more than a few minutes on end when it was just the two of them. It wasn't as if he hated the man (anymore), but the fact of the matter was that Basch was an absolute _stiff_. He barely spoke a word, only rivaled by Fran on that subject, and he always had such a stern gaze. This was, of course, attributed to the fact that this person had been a very prominent captain before. He certainly had the scary presence of one. But, Vaan had to admit the guy could really wield a sword. Prior to meeting Basch, Vaan had only seen such magnificent footwork in the higher soldiers invading his homeland, much to his chagrin. Even Balthier and Fran couldn't wield many weapons as well as the Basch could, not counting guns of course.

So, Vaan had an epiphany. Since he was aiming to be a sky pirate and he wanted to be able to protect himself, he would need a teacher. Not only that, but it would come in handy on the journey. And no one would be better suited for the job than...

"Basch."

The former captain turned away from sharpening his sword to see the blonde youth standing before him. He glanced down at the sword in Vaan's hand, then back up at his face. Obviously his face had a questioning expression, because the boy continued onward.

"...Could you teach me how to sword fight?"

Immediately, Basch was hit with flashbacks from when he was still in Rabanastre. Memories of when young people used to come and ask him for help flooded his mind, and with each passing memory his amusement increased. Everyone had always been so nervous when approaching him because of his hardened look. And personally, he had kind of liked it that way; it'd kept all his trainees in line. Now? Not so much.

"Basch?"

"Hm?" he said back, jumping a little as he came out of his tangent of thought.

"Come on, Basch! I always see you practicing with your sword, and you're really good! Besides, I have to learn in order to fight enemies well while we travel!"

Basch sighed a little. The fire of youth was something he had always loved and despised when dealing with younger people. Although it pushed them onward to become better, it also got them into trouble. And this particular youngster was _especially_ prone to trouble.

"You are making good progress as it is," Basch stated (against part of his better judgment), keeping his eyes focused on his sword as he continued to sharpen it. "You do not need my help."

"But I don't know any of the stuff you do! I can only do a few moves while you do all...this," Vaan said back, trying to replicate Basch's moves and almost dropping his sword in the process. Basch tried not to shake his head for being at a loss.

Maybe the boy was right. He'd need some instruction in order to make it through tougher battles, which were sure to come at some point. There was only so much one could do with healing potions and phoenix downs. "Alright," Basch said, standing up, and Vaan did a fist pump as well as a say few words of victory. "BUT," he added sharply, "you must follow everything I tell you."

"Absolutely!" Vaan said with a smile.

"No objections," the man said back, looking pointedly at the young man in front of him.

"None whatsoever!"

"And when I give you direction, you must follow it without question."

"Got it! Now show me what to do!"

Basch sighed again. His only comfort, he supposed, was that Vaan had asked for help in the first place.

Taking advantage of the ship needing repairs, Basch trained Vaan each day in the Estersand from sunrise until sunset. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the boy was so eager to learn, albeit being just a bit impatient to do what he called "all the cool stuff". The explanation about technique requiring time was used too often for Basch to count, but at least his new trainee was making progress.

After the ship was fixed, whatever time could be spent on the ground _was_ spent on the ground. The rest of their companions didn't know what to think of all this training at every spare moment, even when both had time to relax. Penelo asked Vaan if he was sure about this, because one he never listened, and two because training was serious. He retorted back that he was sure because he wanted to learn how to fight well. He was going to be a sky pirate after all, and sky pirates needed to know how to fight. Balthier was quite amused at Vaan's attempts to fight like the former captain, and shamelessly bet with Nono when it came to how many times Basch would look sternly at Vaan or when the latter would beg for mercy. Fran appeared indifferent, though she somehow seemed pleased that the boy had finally taken initiative and asked an elder for help. Ashe also seemed indifferent, but betrayed the occasional smile when she heard Vaan complain and Basch berate him with dignity before telling him to get back to work.

After a few weeks, Basch was happy to say that the boy was definitely making headway. His movements had become less rash and choppy, and his footwork was now organized into something that didn't resemble a mixture of jumping and a spastic cockatrice. And although Vaan complained as most young people do, he listened well and understood what Basch was explaining.

On the nights when Basch kept watch in the camp Vaan was usually sleeping contently, happy that he wasn't being driven into oblivion in his training. But on this particular night, he was up. Sensing that he was curious about something, Basch readied himself for whatever questions he might be asked. After Vaan sat down nearby and didn't speak for a few minutes, the silence finally broke.

"...Basch? Why did you become a captain?"

He hadn't exactly been expecting that one, but it could be answered readily. He turned to the young Rabanastrian and smiled a little. "Because I loved my country."

"Aren't you from Nalbina though?"

"Yes, I am. But when I came to Rabanastre, I was taken in as if I had lived there all my life. I hadn't met such a welcoming society when it came to my being a stranger there, and it was a relief not to run from the enemy in that nation. So I decided to protect that happiness of those who gave my family such at thing in the first place."

Vaan blinked a little in surprise, nodding just a little because he didn't know what else to do or say. Basch continued. "It is also why I wield a sword." He sat down slowly on one of the crates near the fire, facing the sleeping group a few feet away. "I won't say that I never wanted to impress anyone. Even captains once wanted someone to notice what they were good at," he said with a small laugh. "But it was always more than that." He held up his sword, looking at it to indicate. "When a man holds a sword Vaan, it should not be for the sake of his ambitions or wants. We practice fencing in order to protect ourselves, but ultimately we use our knowledge of swordplay to protect those we know and love." Vaan could've sworn Basch's eyes strayed toward Ashe, but the man looked over everyone else soon after. Perhaps it was the firelight. "I took up the sword to protect my country as well as the people in it. But what I want to know is what is your reason is." The captain slowly turned his gaze to the young boy sitting next to him. "Sky-pirating aside."

Yet again, another response Vaan hadn't been expecting. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke slowly. "...Sometimes, I thought it was because of my brother. He'd always talked about his role as a soldier kind of like how you did just now. Having my brother die, the person who fought with honor and died too soon, made me want to go kill the enemy. But, now...I guess I want to protect what I have. Filo, Kites, Migelo...Penelo," Vaan said, looking over at where Penelo was sleeping. His eyes lingered there, swirls of precious emotions showing themselves for just an instant. "I want to protect them all. Even though I want to become a sky pirate, I also want to make sure no one else I know gets hurt, even if it has to be me who takes the blows in the end."

For some reason, the look on the youth's face now made Basch want to chuckle. He looked as if he was waiting for the approval of a mentor or a father, as well as waiting to defend himself should anything be said against his opinion. _"Even though it's correct," _he thought. Basch simply smiled and nodded his head. "That is the kind of thinking that breeds a good fighter, Vaan. It sets men apart from boys."

"Men, huh?" Vaan said, his face suddenly slightly proud.

Basch felt that maybe he should have said it differently, but still smiled as his trainee went off into a world of his own. "Yes Vaan, men."

Soon after, Vaan decided to go to sleep since his questions had been answered. Basch still can't exactly put his finger on why Vaan asked him these questions in the first place. He shook his head, watching for a moment as the boy smiled in his sleep from his place near Penelo. Although he himself had never gotten the chance to have children, he guessed that this was how fathers felt about their sons; a bit at a loss, anxious to see what happened next, and above all, proud.

Maybe this training business hadn't been for nothing after all.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I think I enjoyed doing this one the most out of the ones I've written so far. Vaan is a silly, but he's also pretty cool. I tried for a good balance of silly and goodness when writing Vaan because he's not an _absolute idiot_ (even though he does lack sense at some crucial moments *snort*). As for Basch, I hope I got him in-character. Ah yes, and special thanks to **-Kazzlar**, **Bluebearsg** and **bunannza **for your reviews! ^U^ It is much appreciated! Also, I apologize for the length. I swear I will try not to make these stories more lengthy than they already are. It can be a pain to read through too much because vignettes are supposed to be short things!

For those of you reading this, I'd love to hear your feedback so that I: 1) Can figure out if I should continue writing this, and 2) Know that I'm doing a good job. The review box is hungry for your words! Any feedback is most welcome! Next up will be a chapter for interaction between Penelo and Ashe. They didn't communicate much during the game, so I felt it was high time I wrote something for them instead of doing it later. **Also, there seems to be this nagging problem I have with submitting stories; namely that I get an error message more often than not, and then it suddenly works. Depending on that little malfunction, I maybe be updating in a few days or weeks. Basically, whenever the error isn't looking, I'll just throw my story past it. Hahaha! :D**

Yeesh, sorry for the lengthy after notes, but that's the spiel! Thanks for reading!


	4. Girl Talk

**Title: **"Girl Talk"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,490

**Characters: **Penelo and Ashe. No pairings.

**Description: **Every lady can appreciate the concept of "girl talk", even if you just so happen to be running for your life for most of the day.

* * *

"_This day could not have ended soon enough,"_ was Penelo's thought as she sat on her cot. While the initial thrill of escaping other pirates had been exciting for the first part of the day, it got to be exhausting and even a little frightening later. Luckily, Balthier's fancy talk about his superior skill as the "leading man" wasn't due to hot air, and Fran was an extremely capable woman under high pressure. When they secured the anchor into the ground in the middle of the desert at midnight, safe from Ba'Gamnan and other people out for Balthier's head, the group finally got to have a breather.

"I'm so glad today is over," Vaan groaned, face down on the other cot sitting in the storage room that served as their temporary home. Penelo voiced her agreement, leaning her back and head against the wall. She appreciated the silence that night time brought, and for some reason she felt a little sore. She could think of nothing sweeter than to fall asleep and forget about everything until the next morning. So she said goodnight to Vaan and lay down, closing her eyes and curling up under the covers.

For a few minutes she tried, but everything suddenly seemed a bit _too_ quiet. Feeling restless from the leftover adrenaline, Penelo sat up and asked Vaan if he was still awake. The only response she got was a slight snore.

So, she decided that until she felt sleepy, she would just busy herself with things around the ship. Her first order of business would be to see how everyone was and say goodnight. Vaan was obviously checked off the list, so she tossed a blanket over his unceremoniously sprawled out body, wrapped one around herself, and quietly slipped out of the room.

The first "person" she came across was Nono, who was sitting in the small kitchen nursing a cup of coffee. They had a tiny conversation, which ended with her giving him a goodnight hug and thanking him for his help in keeping everyone calm.

The next person she came across was Basch, who was already preparing for the next day in terms of supplies and weapon cleaning. She asked him if he always did this, and he replied that yes, he did. It had been beaten into his system because of his days as a captain. She hesitated, but like the curious child she was, she asked the man about his days as a captain, and he told her some good stories about his company's exploits. It ended with her wishing him a goodnight, telling him that he should follow Vaan's example for once and go to sleep. Maybe just for tonight he said, humoring her with a laugh.

The third person she came across was Fran, whom she passed by in the hallway. Their exchange didn't last more than a few moments. Penelo said goodnight, to which the Viera nodded back in concurrence. Then Penelo thanked her, which looked like something Fran hadn't been expecting, so she paused in her walk for a moment before nodding slowly and saying a quiet "you're welcome".

Balthier was the next person she found. He was sitting in the control room, looking more dead than alive. She had a feeling Fran would be back to collect him soon, but walked over to him and asked if he was feeling alright. With his usual drawling accent, albeit the extremely tired look on his face, he said he was feeling fine; it was all part of the role of "leading man". She shook her head, and he wished her a polite "goodnight, my dear" before she left. Just as she did, Fran rounded the corner with a blanket and went inside. She looked over her shoulder to see the Viera reemerge with her arm supporting Balthier's shoulders as she helped him to his room. Although, he seemed to be helping her just as much, his arm supported against her back to keep her upright. She didn't know why, but seeing something like that made her smile.

The last person she found was Ashe. Penelo had decided to climb to the ship's roof to get some fresh air; maybe the warmth of the desert would help lull her to sleep. She had been standing up there for a few moments before realizing that Ashe was there as well, staring out into the desert.

"…You couldn't sleep either?" Penelo asked, wrapping the blanket around herself a little more.

Ashe looked up at her from where she was sitting, then rested her chin on her drawn-up knees. "No, I couldn't."

Penelo hesitated for a moment, but something in the royal's eyes told her that she needed company, so she parked herself next to Ashe. "I've never had such a frightening day," she said, and Ashe smiled sympathetically. "I guess the adrenaline just has to finish burning off."

Ashe nodded in concurrence, and Penelo kept silent. She figured that if the older girl wanted to speak, she was welcome. If not, at least she would be reassured by the presence of someone near her.

"I haven't had a day like this for a long time."

"You mean, back when you were…"

"Yes. Back when I was a princess."

"Really?"

Ashe nodded. "Working in the underground was trying, but it was very different from when there was still an open war."

"…What was it like?" Penelo ventured, glancing at Ashe with caution.

"Well," Ashe began slowly, not appearing bothered, "…half the time you just sat and nothing seemed to happen. It was lots of paper work, lots of negotiations. People didn't always agree with you. It could be a headache sometimes, but it was worth it. Especially since I still had my father, and…"

"And your husband Rasler."

Ashe's eyes grew pained for a moment, but she smiled a bit. "Yes. Even when Arcades started waging war and things seemed dark, having him with me was such a comfort. I was actually quite scared at the time."

"You were scared?" Penelo asked, looking at her in amazement. "Well…I guess you would be. But whenever you and your family spoke to us as your people, you never looked it."

"I'm glad I didn't look it," Ashe said with a laugh, "otherwise I would have scared everyone."

Penelo nodded. "It was pretty reassuring whenever we saw you. You and your husband looked so determined, like you both could take on Arcades all by yourselves and win!"

Both girls chuckled for a moment at the thought. "It was almost irritating how well he knew me for being married to me for so short a time," Ashe said with a half-hearted smirk. "I thought I knew how to hide what I felt very well, because I did it when I spoke to everyone. But he could figure out when I was really scared or really happy just by looking at me. It would make me angry, but…I always sort of appreciated that about him."

Penelo was silent for a moment, drawing up her knees. "I'm sorry about him, your husband. It's a shame that we have to lose things like that."

Ashe turned to Penelo. "…And I wish with all my heart I could take back Rabanastre with one swift movement. I hated seeing my country fall like that after all we had worked for. I knew how Rabanastre's people felt when that happened," she said with sadly. Being acquainted with Penelo didn't just mean another companion for Ashe. It meant having a fellow Rabanastrian who shared in her pain; the pain that everything was snatched from your hands, and that there had been nothing you could do about it.

Penelo looked a little sad too, but then smiled. "But hey…at least we all found each other, right? I hadn't expected to become part of something like this, but I'm happy I got to be on this ship. Even if it won't last forever I'll be helping out somehow."

Ashe slowly smiled. "I feel the same. At first I didn't know what to think of traveling like this, with people I didn't know. But…now I've become so familiar with things that it feels like our time on the ship will be something I'll always look back on and smile. Maybe it wasn't just chance I ended up traveling with you and the others."

Penelo grinned. "Maybe!"

The two girls exchanged a slight giggle before continuing to talk of other things, like how their homes had been in happier times, or how Basch was too serious and should smile more, or how Nono looked adorable right when he'd woken up in the morning. Penelo reflected that, although a little strange to be having "girl talk" with the princess of Dalmasca, it was nice. And judging by the look on Ashe's face, she was enjoying being someone she hardly ever got to be: a regular woman.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Soooo, I think I'll go back and edit this later. I liked this one, but I didn't know what else to add. I'm open to your suggestions and your feedback on what I can do to fix this. I welcome any criticism you have to give! ^U^

Next up is a chapter between Ashe and Basch! Thank you for reading!


	5. Vacation

**Title: **Vacation

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count:** 1,882

**Characters Of Main Focus: **Ashe and Basch. Slight Ashe/Basch.

**Description: **Ashe teaching Basch how to relax? Inconceivable!

* * *

It was odd to think about each day with everyone as "busy", but it certainly wasn't as if they were always lounging around. Even if Balthier and Fran were the only ones doing any major work, which consisted mainly of piloting and attacking the occasional malfunction, everyone else busied themselves doing small chores. Either that or the anxiety that gripped everyone made it feel like a day of hard work had gone by. Like it or not, their ultimate goal was to get Ashe back on the throne and essentially save the world _somehow_ from the rotten war the ravaged everything. It tended to leave one a little...stressed.

That was why when Vaan mentioned taking a vacation yesterday, everyone immediately agreed with him for once. And after a short disagreement about where to go for said vacation, it was declared that they would go to some islands off the Phon Coast.

So today, on a warm spring day, Basch finds himself without a sword in his hand or enemies to kill. He's without a single thing to do except to lie in the sun and relax...

...and he swears it's going to be the _end_ of him.

It's not like he hates the beach or the feeling of the water against his feet, and he can't say that it doesn't make him happy to see his comrades so at ease. Balthier is lying lazily in the sun just like the rogue he is, daring anything (or everything) to come for him. Fran has disappeared under the surface of the ocean to explore the coral and various fish, such natural phenomena a mystery to her since she grew up in a forest all her life. Ashe had gone off to explore the island, cabin fever just barely escaped. Vaan and Penelo are also taking advantage of their day off, absorbed in a game of tag in the shallows and running madly around the beach to escape from each other. It's a relief to see that they still know how to smile. They deserved better than to run off with a bunch of outcasts in order to fight a war that many thought was a lost cause.

But he was a different story. He was always in the action, always fighting. Even while he was imprisoned, he rallied his mind and body to be ready for anything that came. And now, he was sitting on a beach with no fight to fight. He felt completely useless.

...Wait a minute. He shouldn't be blowing this out of proportion. He remembers his training as a captain, and in the ranks of both Nalbina and Rabanastre they had told him the same thing: a soldier cannot only work or only rest. He must find a balance of both. He really needed to learn how to relax.

He stretched a bit and sighed as if to prepare himself, and out of the corner of his eye Balthier took one look at him and shook his head with a smirk before closing his eyes again. Though tempted to put the sky pirate in his place with his usual collection of precise words, Basch reminded himself that this was a vacation, and therefore a break from everything usual. He leaned back onto the sand with his hands resting behind his head. Slowly closing his eyes, he tried regulating his breathing and calming himself. The sun was warm, the ocean's sounds were soothing, and the wind felt nice. His friends were safe and were happy. Everything gave him a perfect reason to relax, but whatever was left to do kept sabotaging his brain.

"You look quite stern for one who is supposedly relaxing."

He slowly blinked his eyes open to see Ashe staring down at him, her face upside down in his vision but her smile very obvious. He blinked a few more times.

"You are on a beach, yet you look as if you're ready for something to jump out and attack you."

He wanted to object, but she'd practically read his mind. Before he could speak, she invited him to help her search for Phon coconuts. They were quite delicious, she said as he sat up, and they were something she hadn't had ever since she was a young girl. And if she recalls correctly, he also happens to like them.

Again, there are no words to use. But he does smile, and gets up to dust the sand off his swimming trunks before following her toward the palm grove a few feet away.

Most palm trees are very tall and require a lot of climbing to reach the coconuts at the top, but Phon coconut palms are quite different. They have a large width and are low enough to reach the coconuts with a short climb, or even just by standing on your toes. He follows her to this group of short trees in his usual dignified manner, realizing how tense he is mere moments later when she casts a laughing glance at him over her shoulder as she walks to one of the trees. He takes notice of her stance. Even though she's always been a very dignified person who took care not to look any less than a royal, she was now ambling around in such a casual manner. She wasn't lacking in her usual grace, but her walk was less purposeful and her shoulders were without their usual stiffness, her hips swaying gracefully as she balanced a basket between her hand and one hip. She looked quite at home on this island, and the back of his brain whispers that this side of her is quite captivating.

He quickly turns his head to the side a little, shaking off his thoughts and taking in a deep breath, relaxing his stance a little more. If she could do this, so could he. She calls to him and asks if he has gotten distracted, and he says no, walking over to help her with a small smile.

As the morning wore off into the afternoon, he and Ashe collect coconuts and make small talk. They reflect on the behavior of their companions on the island, amazed at how they could be so calm with so much happening around them. But, Ashe said as she picked off a coconut, she supposed there was a time and a place for everything. That's what helped her relax on this island with everyone else. Here, she didn't have to be Lady Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, or Amalia, or a fugitive from Rabanastre with worries. She could just be Ashe, a woman at the beach with her friends and not a care in the world.

He watches her as she continues to pick coconuts. Perhaps he is always so absorbed with what to do next that he can never appreciate what happens right in front of his eyes. Give it a few years ago, and she would not have been so ready to let things go. It just shows how much she has grown, and how far she has come from who she was before. What she is saying makes sense, and suddenly he is no longer Captain Basch Von Rosenberg, nor is he a man who lost both his homes, or a former soldier bound to his country through duty.

He is just Basch, a man on a beach helping collect coconuts.

It's absurdly simple, but it feels nice to let the burdens slip from his shoulders and vanish. Here he can be the person who he didn't get to be while stuck in prison or running from Nalbina to Rabanastre. And here, she can be the person she didn't get to be during the time the war happened or her country fell. They can just _be_.

He gets distracted while pondering this last bit and doesn't realize that he's pushed back several fronds to reach a coconut. By the time he realizes he's let go of them all at once it's too late, and he's suddenly met with several whipping sounds and an incredible stinging sensation all over his face. And he falls back too.

When he opens his eyes and groans in slight pain, Ashe is kneeling next to him, a basket full of coconuts and a laugh she is trying not to release. All those silly thoughts, and what does he have to show for it? Unspoken words and wounded pride. She suggests that they go back to camp so that they can deal with the cuts on his face. He doesn't need any more scars there.

They get back to camp and there is initial laughter from the other guys about what had happened. He tries not to grimace as Vaan teases him while Ashe spreads some salve over all the cuts on his face. Fran makes her appearance at camp and says that she's caught a few fish. Ashe remembers the coconuts and passes them out, getting Penelo to cut them open. The whole company eats and drinks their fill, Basch looking at Ashe once in a while. She looks so happy like this, and he wishes with all his heart that her life wasn't so full of hardship so that this day could become every day for her.

The day progresses, and by the end everyone is so tired that they just sit around in various places. Ashe comes to sit by Basch before the sunset, and for a moment they recline in comfortable silence.

"...This was a good day," she said calmly, a content smile on her face. "Not counting the cuts on your face."

He nodded in concurrence, trying to summon words to speak. When nothing came, she spoke instead.

"...Basch?"

"Hm?"

"Did you enjoy today? Even though you got hit in the face with the palm fronds and got made fun of by the boys, did you like the vacation on this island?"

He looked at her strangely, noticing that she's fidgeting a little. He's tempted to smile because she probably thinks he's a little mad. "Of course I did. The cuts were nothing, and I have not had the chance to do this in..."

"In a long time," she finished, sighing a little as she looked into the sunset.

"...It was nice," he said after a moment, staring into the sun.

"Wouldn't it be great if every day were like this?" she said with a smile.

"...Yes."

At that moment, both looked at each other. She looked so happy, but her eyes told him she knew this too must come to an end. There would be other vacations, but those would be the only times they had to escape from everything. Here on this island, fantasy ran wild without limits. Outside of the island, there was war and hardship and worry. Even if they continued coming often, there was no way to deny what was outside.

They turned away again, still looking at the sun. Maybe this was the only place where their lives outside meant nothing, and it was a shame that it had to end so soon. But for now they would enjoy one last piece of their vacation.

They would enjoy this last moment to pass the time as themselves. Him just being Basch, her just being Ashe. Together.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well well, look at all that silliness! XD Hahaha! As usual, I'd love your feedback. Just shoot me a comment at your own discretion, and I would be most grateful! **Special thanks **to **Bluebearsg, bunannza, **and **-Kazzlar** for the reviews on the previous chapter! Next chapter involves interactions between Penelo and Balthier.

Thank you for reading! ;D


	6. Humming

**Title: **"Humming"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,594

**Characters: **Balthier and Penelo. No pairings.

**Description: **Nothing like a little humming to make cleaning and remembering a little more bearable.

* * *

Balthier reclined in his seat in the cockpit, gazing absently gently at the sky, picking out shapes in the clouds. All was quiet.

Well, in the cockpit at least.

It almost seemed like a different world outside of this area. He could hear Basch telling Vaan something, to which the latter spoke loudly, most likely in objection. Then he heard Penelo's voice cut in. Judging by the tone, she was scolding Vaan. He heard the princess' no-nonsense voice as well. Heaven knows what they were arguing about, but he was grateful when he heard his partner's rich voice drift into the mix, which silenced all noise. Who knows what she said, but silence had prevailed. Honestly, as much as he had gotten used to the voices of his comrades, there was only so much he could take.

He suddenly remembered that today was the day everyone had picked to clean the Strahl. Ah, so that's what all the noise was about. He guessed that each member of the crew was deciding on what to clean. As for himself, he was supposed to be cleaning the cockpit. How convenient, he was already sitting here. All he needed to do was a bit of dusting and polishing.

The next few hours were passed with the noises of scrubbing, sweeping, and the occasional clatter or bump of something being moved out of the way. The ramp was open, so there was a cool breeze circulating through the ship. He'd done about half of the cockpit when he sat down to rest a bit. Regardless of the ship's small size, the cockpit was still fairly large. He reminded himself to pass cockpit cleaning duty to someone other than himself next time.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, smiling as he smelled the fresh air of the outside. Even if it was a cleaning day, it was a good day. Days like these reminded him of better ones, when he was a boy living back in Arcades. On days like these, the servants of the household would open the windows in every room of the mansion and clean the entire place out. His father, not wanting him to get in the way, would send him out somewhere to play. Sometimes the man would even come along. But one time, Balthier had to stay home because of some big happening. He doesn't remember what had happened, but the point was that he stayed in, and it was like watching a different world function as the servants cleaned the place out. It was a chore to be sure, cleaning a big place like that, but they became more at ease, ambling around casually with brooms and mops. The men would jest with each other as they raced to see who could clean a hallway faster. The women would gossip as they polished the cabinets, and there would be the occasional woman lost in her own world, humming a tune only she knew. After that, he convinced his father to let him stay whenever there was a cleaning day, just picking a place near an open window and watching this separate world as it went by.

The sound of someone humming brought him out of his reverie. He turned his chair slightly to see Penelo with a broom in her hand, smiling mildly as she swept around the hallway outside the cockpit. Really, what was it with women and humming?

"I'm guessing that would be one from your home?" he asked, yanking her attention back to reality.

"Huh?"

"The tune, I mean," he said, swiveling his chair around to face her.

"Oh, yes it is," she said with a smile. "It's something my brothers taught me. They told me it was a soldier's tune."

"Sounds quiet calm for a soldier's tune," he remarked with a smile. She chuckled a bit, entering the cockpit with the dustpan and beginning her sweeping.

"They told me that the soldiers hummed it to remind them of their home and their families. They taught me some other ones, but this one's always been my favorite. Keeps them close, you know?"

"I see," he said softly, smiling before he sat up. "That reminds me of one of the army tunes from Arcades. I used to hum it because it sounded so pompous."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a laughing expression. He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to remember, starting to hum it and rocking his head from side to side for a moment. Penelo lightly tapped her foot to the beat as he continued, chuckling as he exaggerated one part before completely stopping.

"I remember hearing one like that, but it was used for the coronation of royalty in Rabanastre," she said, sitting on a chair nearby. "It has so many instruments, including trumpets, so it's a little hard to hum. Let's see…" She started humming, unsure of herself as she went on, but he listened closely. As she continued, he could pick out fragments of what might take place during this song. He could hear the excitement of the crowds, seeing a leader of theirs with a crown placed upon their head and promises given to the people. He could just see her and Vaan sitting in the audience, beaming as they watched history take place in front of them. She broke off with an embarrassed laugh. "I can't figure out the next part!"

"I've got one," he said, leaning forward. "This was one that children used to hum in celebration of being free from their studies." Again, he let his voice slip into the air, bereft of words for once as he recounted the memories of warm summers and no school books to read. He must have gotten a look of such nostalgia, because she smiled in a way she only did when she was happy for someone else.

They kept on exchanging tune, eventually picking up their cleaning but continuing to hum. Some of the tunes made them laugh, others sung with words barely remembered. He hummed a tune from Eruyt that Fran had taught him, closing his eyes as he thought about trees and cool green grass. He'd cracked an eyelid open at one point to see that she had mimicked his motion, her eyes closed and her head leaned back in the chair she was sitting in. It looked like she was recounting some memory she had cherished. Maybe it was one from when her parents were still alive, or when her brothers were still playing with her. What a shame it was to be so young and lose so much. It made his troubles seem so trivial, and it frankly amazed him that Penelo and Vaan still found reasons to smile.

"That's a nice tune," she commented, sitting up slowly. "I know one that you might. It was composed by a famous musician from Nalbina. His music was loved by everyone, so no one bothered to discriminate." She started humming, and he immediately recognized it.

"Ah, I know this one!" he said with a smile. "I heard it several times at dances, and sometimes people in my family would hum it." He joined in, going along with the airy tune as they both got up to clean again. Both hummed the whole song, and at one point they just stood there, her rocking her head from side to side and him pretending to conduct an imaginary orchestra. He remembered all the dances that he had been forced to go to, wearing uncomfortable clothing and being overly polite. But when the night was dark enough and people lost their fancy airs, he would loosen his constricting cravat and dance the night away with his friends. He'd forgotten how much he loved to dance until now.

"How do you know it?" he said, pausing in his humming for just a moment.

"My father would play it on his violin for fun, and my mother would hum it whenever I helped her cook," she said with a smile, carrying on the humming along with him.

"Pleasant memories then?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning on the edge of her broom. Then, they both concluded the song with as much flagrant sound as their voices could muster. Then she curtsied and he bowed.

"Thank you for this hum," he said politely as he bowed.

"You are most welcome," she said politely back as she curtsied. Then she left him to his respective cleaning.

He turned around to face the control panels, placing his hands on his hips and smiling a bit. Most of the time he didn't think about how things were before, because every time he did it hurt. There were no more days of watching the servants clean, no more parties to be forced to go to, no more father to complain to or laugh with. But he had to admit that once in a while, it was nice just to think of how things used to be when it came down to those moments of happiness.

His expression immediately dropped when he truly comprehended the mess before him. All that humming had distracted him from his chores. He frowned for a moment before yanking the dusting cloth from an adjacent chair and beginning his cleaning yet again.

But halfway into it, he simply smiled and hummed as he worked.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well well, I kind of stretched into the realm of the unknown here. I guess it just feels outlandish writing interactions for two characters that I've never smashed together in a story. Pffthahaha! Per usual request, I'd love to hear what you think of this one, so shoot me a review when you have the time. ^U^ Also, updates might come a bit slow for a while, just because I'm one of many university students caught in the desperate fight to stay alive during final exams. To those of you fellow uni students who are up against the same, I wish you luck. *salutes*

**Special thanks **to **Bluebearsg, Kiryn, **and **bunannza **for your reviews on the previous chapter!

The next chapter will be about interaction between Fran and Penelo. Thank you for reading!


	7. Improvement

**Title:** "Improvement"

**Rating: **K+**  
**

**Word Count: **1,795

**Characters: **Penelo and Fran. No pairings.

**Description:** Penelo's on a search for confidence, and Fran is an able guide.

* * *

Fran, elegant and relaxed, reclined in one of the seats in the cockpit. It had been a quiet day aboard the Strahl. Aside from the usual banter of everyone on the ship, not one thing out of the ordinary had happened. She quickly reminded herself, flicking her ear with a slight smile, that such an atmosphere lived to be interrupted. If life had taught her anything, it was that the silence never lasted.

She heard someone's footsteps charge through the halls of the ship. Judging by how quick but precise they were, they probably belonged to her partner.

"Fran."

She turned her seat around and sat up, looking at him with readiness. Even though his voice was calm, the look in his eyes told her the situation was anything but.

"We have a particularly large creature lingering near our ship. It's not something we've been looking for per say, but it looks pretty rare." He leaned against the doorway with as much nonchalance as he dared, though he was a little out of breath. "I think it would be worth the fight."

She betrayed a tiny smile, nodding once before running grabbing her bow and running to the outside.

The area they had landed in was a large beach on the Phon coast. It was quite a beautiful place, seeming to be almost completely untouched by the hardships that existed outside of it. Hearing about such a fiend running around the glittering sands felt out of place, but the extremely large Thalassinon looked quite at home just ambling around once she saw it. She almost felt bad for hunting it.

Around her, the others had drawn their weapons. Deciding that her bow would not do much good and wishing her partner had told her this was a tortoise, she quickly slung it over her back and raised her hand to prepare to cast spells they might need. To her right, her partner aimed his gun at the creature with his general air of arrogance, daring the fiend to try and win. To her left, Penelo clutched her sword and small shield, her feet apart so that she could be ready to charge. But her eyes showed a little fear.

Not a good sign, Fran thought as she turned away and studied the creature before her. Fiends could smell fear, and whoever was fearful was usually the first to fall.

The Viera turned toward Penelo for a moment. "Show no fear," she said quietly, the girl looking up at her with some surprise. "It knows what you feel if you do not conceal it."

Penelo nodded, still a little unsure, but it would have to do.

The battle ensued, Basch and Vaan charging forward with Ashe bringing up the rear. Fran cast protect as they jumped back after the first round of attacks, and then cast a wind spell. The creature roared in complaint. Right after, she dashed forward with Balthier, Penelo going forward with them but being just a little behind. They jumped to hurt the creature, Balthier with his gun, Penelo with her sword, and Fran choosing to strike it with fire. The creature didn't so much as flinch when her spell struck, but Balthier's shot hit made it roar in pain. Both jumped back to make way for Penelo.

But as the girl ran to hit it, the creature made a swipe for her. She dodged faster than Fran thought possible, but when an opening to hit the creature came the girl froze up, standing in place in hesitation. Before the creature could get any ideas, Vaan quickly jumped in and picked up Penelo, running out of harm's way with her.

"Why didn't you hit it, you idiot?" he asked, putting her down as the others hit the creature in her place.

"How was I supposed to hit it when it was coming for me?" she said, obviously angry. "Easy for you to say; you've had more combat training than me!"

Vaan opened his mouth to say something, but Fran's voice stopped him. "This is not time for arguing," Fran said sternly to the pair, both turning toward her in some surprise. "When we collect our mark, you may solve your troubles. For now we must work together." Vaan nodded, running with Balthier toward the creature. Penelo stood by Fran again, waiting for the next wave nervously.

The others became preoccupied with trying to distract the creature, so Fran and Penelo could not jump in right away. Instead, Fran busied herself with casting spells to harm the creature and protect her teammates. Penelo stood and watched, though she occasionally turned to observe Fran.

Soon Fran's magick power began to feel depleted, and she prepared to reach for an ether inside the pack hanging off her waist. But before she could, she felt cold liquid splash her skin and her energy become restored. She looked to her right, and Penelo was putting away an empty small ether bottle.

"Do you feel better?" Penelo asked.

The Viera betrayed nothing, but did blink once to show she had not expected that. She nodded. "Yes. Thank you, hume child."

Penelo nodded, smiling just a little before turning to watch the group with a mildly perplexed look. Fran took note of it, then went back to casting spells. She would have words with Penelo later, when this mess was over.

The group successfully defeated their enemy, managing to find some interesting things wedged under the sides of its shell. Ashe found a few trinkets, picking out a few and handing them off to the next person who was nearby. Basch found bracers that would prove useful, as they guarded well against dark casts. Balthier didn't find anything he liked, as there wasn't much to begin with, but he did find a quiver full of poison arrows.

"The poor fool who owned this obviously had not combat skills, leaving such a thing as this with a fiend," he said, dangling the prize in front of her before easing it into her open hands. "I know we shall have no such worries."

She merely gave him a small smile, to which he smiled back in his usual manner and walked inside the ship to change his clothes. She turned to see Vaan talking with Penelo, showing her a pair of earrings he'd found. He offered them to her, but she said she didn't want them. She was trying to smile, but she was obviously upset about how she didn't do much during the battle. Before Fran could open her mouth, Balthier shouted from the top of the ship's ramp that there was food in the kitchen, and everyone moved to go eat.

That night the group slept on the ground instead of in the ship. It was Fran's turn to keep watch, so she stood at alert outside the camp, her eyes scanning the horizon for anything that moved. When she heard the sound of small footsteps behind her she did not turn around, merely turning an ear for a moment.

"...Is the watch going well?" Penelo whispered, hugging a large blanket around herself.

"All is quiet," Fran said softly, still looking around.

"I see."

For a moment neither one spoke. But Fran remembered that she was supposed to talk with Penelo about earlier. "Earlier in battle, you hesitated."

Penelo started slightly for just a moment, then looked out into the horizon sadly. "...I'm not a fighter, Fran. I don't know how to fight, and I'm not strong at all."

"Yet you take up a sword?" the Viera said, though without any accusing tone. Penelo lowered her eyes. At that moment Fran's eyes darted to the left, and without thinking she pulled the bow string of her weapon and fired. In the distance a creature roared, and she immediately jogged off. She heard Penelo follow her, catching up a moment later with a lantern in her hand. The Viera did not miss the surprised look on the girl's face at seeing the arrow having landed right in the creature. The thing looked dead, so Fran got up and walked back to camp.

"My thoughts, Hume child, are that you know how to fight, and that you know your strengths. You merely fear."

Penelo sat down on a crate nearby. "…I'm just afraid I won't be good enough. I've always been afraid of that. Afraid I won't be good enough to protect the people I know, or afraid that I won't be able to do anything, because…well, I've never been strong enough to do anything. Not in Rabanastre." She sighed. "I must seem like a coward."

"It is plain to see that you are no coward," Fran said simply, still scanning the horizon. "You cannot see well in the dark, yet you followed me to see if a fiend was dead."

Penelo blinked in surprised for a moment, then bit her lip. At this moment, Fran turned to face the young girl. "Time it takes, to become used to combat. Time is a great worker of many things. As for the rest, there are things I may teach you if you are willing to learn."

The girl sat up a little more, clearly surprised. "Like what?"

"For one, I may teach you spells. Perhaps if the sword is not meant for you, you may turn to the strengths your body can produce within itself. You are observant, which is a good characteristic for a wielder of magicks to have. I did not have to tell you that my own magick energy was depleted, yet you knew to use ether."

"But it was obvious you were worn out!" Penelo said. "...Wasn't it?"

At this, Fran cracked a small smile in the dark of the night. "Shall I teach you?"

Penelo looked down at her feet for a moment, then looked back up and smiled. "Yes please."

For many nights after, Fran would give Penelo a few magick crystals to practice with. It turned out that her gut feeling about Penelo had been right. Not only was the girl a fast learner once she had no fear, but she was talented with this particular way of self-defense. The change was so gradual that most did not notice, but Penelo went from a nervous fighter to a confident wielder of magicks and staves. Even when her weapon expertise began to branch out into other realms, everything Fran taught her always stuck.

The Viera would never speak about what she saw in Penelo or what she thought about the whole situation. But sometimes, if her partner paid close attention, he could see the small smile gracing her face in battle as she watched Penelo charge head-on into battle before she herself joined in the fray.

* * *

**A/N: **Not much to say about this one other than an apology to those who keep up with this for not updating in the longest time! I JUST got done with final exams, so now I'm free!

I really wanted to see some Fran and Penelo interaction in the game. I think they would've gotten along pretty well, and I can see Fran being a sort of mentor to Penelo. Penelo's a pretty confident girl in the game, but I'm sure that after being dragged into the mess of a war, she's going to be a little afraid.

**Special thanks **to **-Kazzlar**, **Bluebearsg**, and **bunannza** for your reviews on the previous chapter! Next chapter will be over interactions between our darling sky pirate and our awesome former captain! Oh boy oh boy. 8D

Critique the heck out of this one; I will be indebted to you if you do so! Thank you for reading, and may you KO the rest of your finals with finesse!


	8. Worthy Opponent

**Title: **"Worthy Opponent"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,839

**Characters: **Balthier and Basch. No pairings.

**Description: **Chess is a gentleman's way of settling differences. ...Or agreeing on them, your choice really.

* * *

In the face of all difficulties, Balthier had always been a man who was casual no matter what the circumstance. Rivals trying to shoot down his ship? Certainly cause for a grin and a little banter to his partner. Law-keepers chasing after him? Always worth smiling in a way that was between a wicked grin and a smirk. Breaking into a well-guarded treasury? He might as well stroll with his hands in his pockets through all the hallways.

But this time was different. His face wore an expression of utmost seriousness, brows drawn together in concentration as his hand hovered over his weapon of choice. A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead.

"Balthier."

A gruff voice brought him out of it for a moment, and he looked up to see a neutral-looking Basch Von Rosenberg sitting back in his seat, arms crossed.

"Last I recall, the game of chess does not require one to wager one's life."

Balthier slowly regained his usual calm and somewhat arrogant composure, clearing his throat. "I am aware of the fact, Captain Rosenberg. I am merely in focus."

His opponent merely gave a nod, slight amusement written on his face.

Spring cleaning had caught on rather late on the Strahl, as it was late summer everywhere else in Ivalice. But in light of the fact that there was almost nothing to do except fly around, and that Balthier didn't want to waste any more of the ship's energy, he declared they would land somewhere and the ship would be cleaned.

Of course, this quickly turned into anything _but _cleaning.

It started when Vaan and Penelo began sorting through the small storage compartment in the ship's hull. They had been dusting and organizing for roughly 10 minutes when they stumbled upon a contraption they'd never seen before, and went to consult Balthier about it. After explaining that what they had beheld with such awe was actually an antique Arcadian coffee maker, he went back to cleaning. Half an hour later, they came back with questions about 3 more things. And after that, 2 more. At that point he left behind his cleaning and came with them, deciding it would be better if he helped so things would actually get done.

As they kept sorting through everything, he began finding things even he didn't remember having. Some things he'd just plain forgotten about, taking his occasional question to Fran for help.

And then, a piece of familiarity.

"Hey Balthier. Is this...a chess table?"

Balthier turned around to see Vaan raising a table up off the floor, the white and black squares on it gleaming in the lantern light.

"Huh. Didn't think I still had it," Balthier said, eyeing it closely. "And, if I remember correctly..." He slid his hand under the small table, feeling around for a bit before finding a switch and flipping it. There was a slight clicking sound, and then a drawer slide out to reveal a bunch of white marble chess pieces. "Here we are. And I thought they had run off somewhere."

Vaan mimicked Balthier's movement, and after a moment there was another clicking sound and another drawer popped out. The sky pirate was by no means impressed with such a simple moment of deciphering, but he did smile a little. Maybe Vaan wasn't completely uneducated after all.

"The black pieces are in here too," Vaan said, picking one up. "But why do you have this? Isn't this what old men usually play?"

Balthier began to retract his previous thought as he looked at Vaan in bewildered amusement, and Penelo giggled. "Don't be ridiculous," Balthier said, walking to Vaan's side of the table and shutting the drawer. "It's not just an old man's game; it is a gentleman's game. Perhaps you are not a gentleman, Vaan?" Penelo's giggles increased at Vaan's indignant expression.

Running over Vaan's oncoming excuses, Balthier continued. "I would always play it with friends at school, back when I lived in Archades. I usually beat them at it too. One of the few things I brought with me from the 'good old days'."

At that moment, Basch had wandered in with a broom and dustpan, and an expression that suggested he was hunting for enemies, not chores. Ignoring the slight amusement he felt at seeing the captain armed with such…deadly weapons, Balthier greeted the man.

"Ah, the Captain Von Rosenberg. Come to join us in our search for treasures?"

Basch let out a slight "hmph" in the form of a chuckle, and then looked at the chess table next to Balthier. "I haven't seen one of those for a while. I didn't think you had such a thing on your ship."

"Neither did I," Balthier said. "I take it you know how to play, then?"

The former captain nodded. "I played it often with the generals in Rabanastre."

_Typical_, Balthier thought with a smirk. Vaan spoke up.

"Do you play well?"

"Not as well as others might, but I usually did beat my fellow generals."

At that declaration, Balthier suddenly had an idea. "Well then, Basch, how about we have a little game of wits? I haven't touched a chess piece in ages and neither have you, and I'm curious about who would be better."

Usually Basch was the most sensible in the crew, but something of a slight challenge came across his face as he leaned on his broom a little. "Is that a challenge, sky pirate?"

"Yes it is, Captain."

After that, Balthier had carried the chess table outside to rest near the ship. As he was grabbing two chairs while Basch put up his cleaning supplies, he ran into Fran.

"And what are you up to, Balthier?" Fran asked, giving the chairs in his hands a very discreetly odd look.

"A Battle of Wits, my dear," he replied, walking past her. "Care to join us?"

"This ship needs cleaning, as you originally ordered," she replied evenly. "I cannot spare the time to play games."

"Oh, but Fran, it is quite fun to flee your responsibilities once in a while."

"You say 'once in a while' as if it were such, sky pirate," she said, laughter in her eyes. He just grinned as he hurried off.

And it all came back to the present moment. They had been out here for who knows how long now, very few pieces taken away and the board now a mess of black and white figures. Balthier stretched a little as Basch moved a knight piece.

"You know," Balthier said, tapping a finger to his chin as he planned his next move, "this game is a lot like real life."

"And why is that?" Basch asked.

"Well, to begin with, our separate sides seem to butt heads often," he replied. "The loyal white knight versus the dashing, black-hearted sky pirate. Hmm…I move my bishop. That, and our countries are fighting each other tooth and nail."

"You have a point," Basch said, eyeing the white pieces on his side as he thought of his next move. "Perhaps it is good then, that we resolve such differences here and not on an actual battlefield. I move my queen."

"Ah ah, careful," Balthier said. "The queen is a vital part of a country. Lose her, and it's all over."

"I am well aware of the fact," Basch said, crossing his arms. "And yet, she is capable."

"Hmm...so is mine. I move my queen," Balthier said, moving his black queen nearby. "Though you seem to have the field advantage, it is unwise to underestimate her."

"I have no doubt," Basch said, moving his knight near the queen. "I would not ignore the other pieces simply to fight only using the queen."

"A wise decision," Balthier said. "I move my bishop." He placed it near his queen. "Team effort always sees success."

"Yet you would leave your king open to attack?" Basch asked, eyeing the black king standing tall on the right side of the board.

"Of course not," the pirate said back. "But to protect a queen is to protect a king, wouldn't you agree?"

Basch stayed still for a moment, then nodded. "Indeed. If a plan of action is made, a queen and king must work in harmony."

"Personally, if it were up to me, this game wouldn't be about protecting the king," Balthier said, eyeing his king with slight disdain. "The king can only move one space at a time and is quite useless in my eyes. No, if it were up to me, this game would be a game of protecting the queen."

"Hmph. While it is true that the king can only move one space," he said, moving his king to the right, "he is a vital piece. Lose him and you are finished."

"How right you are," Balthier said with a smirk, a hand on his rook. "And yet, the knights and bishops do all the protecting, do they not? Only to be cast out in the end," he said, moving a rook to take the white knight furthest away from the queen. "Such a life of obscurity."

"It does not matter," Basch said after a moment of eyeing his other knight, "so long as the head of the country is protected in the end. And it is better to toil in obscurity and succeed than to put on airs in the open and accomplish nothing." He moved his knight to take a black pawn, which put him a few squares away from the black bishop.

"Hmph, interesting move, Captain," Balthier said, leaning back in his chair. "It seems that you've moved your piece to a square where you can take mine. And yet, my queen would defeat you if that happened. No doubt you'd prove no match for her."

"Yes, and then my queen would defeat yours. But then, your pawn would take my queen."

"Pity," Balthier said with a smile, gazing at the chess board. "Such petty movements, only to have an entire country undone. We can't have that happen, now can we?"

"Indeed," Basch said back.

They both stared down each other for a moment before a whistle interrupted them, making them both turn abruptly toward the ship. At the top of the ramp stood Fran, her black outfit distinct against her skin, her fingers to her mouth ready to whistle again. Next to her was Ashelia, dressed in her usual white.

"You'd best come in!" Ashe shouted. "There is a sandstorm coming from the east!"

"What a shame," Balthier said softly, waving to them and then getting up. "Well, we have no choice. We shall continue this game later."

Basch got up as well, taking the pieces off the board. "Maybe after the country is in order once more."

Balthier smirked, taking his bishop and queen into his hand. "And perhaps by then, Captain, the game will have changed."

Basch eyed the sky pirate neutrally for a moment, but then smiled a bit, picking up his queen and knight pieces. "Yes. Perhaps it will."

* * *

**A/N: **Sooooooo, I hope the chess metaphor didn't fall all over itself. *snort* Maybe it did. Pfft.

I would love your feedback and critiques on this! I know this thing is long, and I'm sorry about that! If I find a way to reduce this, I will jump on it, but its difficult to shorten a story with Balthier's flowery speech/thoughts in it. 8D

**Special thanks **to **bunnanza **and **Bluebearsg **for your reviews!

Thank you for reading, I will try to update a little faster with these.


	9. Starting From Scratch

**Title:** "Starting From Scratch

**Rating: **K+**  
**

**Word Count: **1,611

**Characters: **Vaan and Balthier. No pairings.

**Description:** Even if you are a sky pirate, you have to have started from some sort of beginning.

* * *

"So, I do...this?"

"No, no, ease your hand into the – ease your hand! My word, you're pushing the thruster like we've got the bloody Ifrit on our heels! Relax your hand and pull back on the thruster so we can slow down."

Per Balthier's words, Vaan slowly let his grip loosen a little more on the thrust as he pulled back, and then quickly moved his hands to the handles of the Strahl's steering wheel.

"Alright, now, we've gotten a little higher in the air, so practice turning. And when you turn, remember to do it gently."

Vaan nodded, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, mumbling "okay, I've got this" more than once before proceeding.

Upon seeing him relax a bit more, Balthier leaned back in his chair, now comforted that there were no more rock formations in sight. He was about to say something, but at that moment the boy made a nervous turn hard right to avoid a few birds. This caused the ship to follow suit, several shouts of objection coming from the rest of the ship's occupants. Balthier recovered himself and slowly sat up, careful to hide his aggravation when he caught sight of Vaan's guilty glances.

"Gently," he said in slight exasperation, placing one finger on the wheel to return it to its center. Vaan nodding vigorously in response, and Balthier merely smirked in amusement before turning his gaze to the cockpit window once more. "Well, now that we're back on track, turn just a _little_ to the left and keep your eyes ahead." The youth did as he was told, and Balthier continued. "Remember Vaan, a ship is like a woman; try to take things too fast and she'll make sure you regret it."

Vaan turned his head to look at Balthier strangely. "HUH?"

"Eyes ahead," Balthier urged, and Vaan immediately snapped his head back into its former position. The least the boy could do was to at least pay attention! "Don't do anything else unless I tell you."

Balthier leaned his forehead against a few of his fingers with an air of arrogant boredom and sighed. It seemed that many people in the crew had something to teach this boy, and apparently it was his turn. _Him_, of all people! He had better things to do than teach a Rabanastrian brat how to fly. Maybe if he was lucky Vaan would stay too nervous to conjure up his usual insolence.

But all the same, he couldn't find it in him to be too hard on the boy. He himself had started out much like this, if not a little worse. His first months driving the Strahl were some of the most trying months in his life. It was like going through piloting class over again, the slightest movement throwing the entire ship this way or that because the ship's build wasn't exactly what you'd call "practical". But when he finally got a feel for her, guiding her through the air became as natural as breathing.

He had to give Vaan credit. He was learning how to fly, no previous experience, and in a ship that had the most fickle controls in all Ivalice no less. Vaan wasn't what you would call a "natural pilot", but the fact that he hadn't flipped the ship over at least once was nothing short of talent.

Not that Balthier would say anything about that.

"Remember not to panic if anything suddenly appears in your visage," Balthier said, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back once more. "If you panic you are done for, and so is everyone you are traveling with."

Vaan nodded, now fully concentrated, his eyes alert. "Right!"

"Also, take note of the wind every so often. Even the largest ships are affected by it, and this is a small ship. Depending on which way the wind is going, you might have to turn harder in one direction or the other. It will also give you an advantage if you are trying to escape an adversary."

Vaan looked at the clouds, squinting. "How can you tell which way it's going when the ship's going so fast?"

"Practice," Balthier said simply, smiling. The surprise of his counterpart didn't escape him. "What, you think I learned all of this at once?" he asked, nudging his head toward the window to tell Vaan to keep his eyes ahead. "It takes years to learn about how to be a sky pirate."

"Years?" Vaan said, sounding almost pained.

"Yes Vaan, years," he drawled. "I didn't learn what I did just by flying for a few days or throwing myself into the middle of chaos."

"Even the best of swordsmen start as lowly soldiers," Vaan said slowly.

"There now, see? Those sword lessons with Basch aren't for nothing. Take the ship down a bit." His student did so in a slightly sloppy fashion, but it got them lower in the atmosphere. "Such a principle can be applied to almost anything, but being a sky pirate is quite different from being a warrior."

"Really?" Vaan asked, eyes glancing over just a bit amidst his concentration.

"Of course! No sky pirate in his right mind would rush into every battle he came upon! A sky pirate chooses his battles and goes wherever he pleases. We are not bound by codes of honor or anything on the ground; not by wars or battles, or even the ground. All we need is the sky and a few maps, and we have the ultimate freedom."

Balthier smiled a little, but noticed Vaan wasn't doing the same. "Huh, sounds almost like running to me," Vaan said absently as he guided the ship a little uneasily against the wind. "Shouldn't you fight if you can no matter what?"

"Yes, but there are also times and places for things," Balthier said, turning to look at Vaan. "If you choose to ignore that, you'll find yourself biting off more than you can chew. Surely Basch has told you of this."

"Well yeah, but..."

"This applies to everyone," Balthier almost interrupted. "Without the ability to choose what you do with your life, you become a slave to what happens around you, and therefore bind yourself to things that are not your problem."

"But shouldn't we fight for some things, even if they aren't our problem?"

"Sometimes what some people think is right isn't actually the right thing to do."

"Then what about what's honorable?"

"What's the use of having honor if it only means an early death by way of stubbornness?"

He could sense Vaan trying to make up another question, and he wondered how in the world they had gotten to this point. He wasn't even supposed to be mentoring this young man! He was just supposed to teach him. And now all these questions had gotten him thinking back on his own life just for the answers.

Balthier rolled his eyes and dwelt on it no more, opting to speak up instead. "You will learn what I mean eventually. For now, fly the ship."

Vaan nodded slowly, and for a while neither one spoke. The silence between them stretched into infinity, filled in only by the humming of the Strahl's engine and the occasional sound of the wind against the hull.

Finally, Vaan spoke up. "...You know my brother used to tell me some of the things you did."

Balthier raised an eyebrow. Was the conversation _actually _going in this direction?

"He didn't want me to be a sky pirate."

"And what did you say when he objected?" Balthier ventured.

To this, Vaan smiled widely. "I told him there wasn't a chance I would give it up." The sky pirate grinned. There was the usual Vaan. "Just wish he could see me fly," he continued. "He'd made me promise to let him see me when I got the chance to fly."

"Even though he didn't want you to be a pirate?"

"Mm-hmm."

Balthier looked over once more. Although still concentrated, it was obvious that Vaan was a little sad. The pain of having lost a brother under the circumstances he did still weighted on his mind. Balthier had never had a sibling; only a father, which he lost to science and who knows what else. Though he often considered himself far superior to this boy in both mind and age, they were only a few years apart in just about everything. When one really got to the bottom of it, they weren't all that different.

Balthier had no intention of becoming anyone's brother or family member any time soon. But perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to give this young man a few nudges in the right direction with the word "family" in mind.

"I'm sure he can still see you," Balthier said after a moment. "People often say that their family members go to heaven after they die. And we happen to be in the heavens right now," he said, gesturing to the clouds before them. "Think of this flight as a sort of 'hello' to your brother."

He got up to leave, feeling like he could part with these words of wisdom, when Vaan stopped him.

"Mind if I do a small trick to say hello?" Vaan asked, outwardly calm but excitement in his eyes.

"Be my guest," Balthier said, turning around to head out. "Just mind the ship."

He'd regret that statement, because right after he exited the cockpit the ship did a sideways roll to the left. This sent Balthier tumbling to his feet before he scrambled up, obscenities flying from his mouth as he stomped into the cockpit again.

"VAAAAAN!"

* * *

**A/N: **It seems like I keep updating these at longer intervals. My apologies. Now that summer has been officially here, my muse is dragging its feet everywhere it goes! Hahahaha!

As usual, please please **please** tell me what you think. If you can find anything wrong with it, tell me. For instance, I feel like Balthier may be a bit out of character in this. If you believe this to be true, tell me and I will correct it.

**Special thanks **to **bunannza, Bluebearsg, **and **Belle **for your reviews on the previous chapter.

Also, **a shameless cry for help: **I am need of a Beta for the rest of the one-shots I'm doing for this story (or the next one I do, if you don't want to beta more than once). If you happen to know anyone/you are someone who can read these over and give me good advice for the things I write, as well as anyone who has a good eye for "in-character", I'd like your help. I feel like I could be making more progress if I had someone who read over my work.

Thank you for reading! If things go as planned, I should have either Vaan and Ashe or Vaan and Penelo interactions next update. I will try to be prompt about it, for those of you who still keep up with it.

Thank you for reading!


	10. Manners

**Title: **"Manners"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,184

**Characters: **Fran and Vaan (and a tiny bit of Balthier). No pairings.

**Description: **Repetition is said to be good for a young person who is learning. Whoever said so obviously knew what they were talking about.

* * *

"I'm sorry!"

Fran turns her head slowly to her right to discover the source of such a desperate apology, and finds Vaan bowing in respect. She raises an eyebrow ever so slightly. She does not recall an occasion where the youth wronged her even in the slightest. To be sure, he is one of the youngest members on the ship, and is therefore worth a shake of the head when it comes to some of his actions, but he hasn't done anything to upset her.

She places her bow down on the table beside her, along with the weapon cleaning supplies in her hands, and rested an arm on the tabletop. "And I will accept your apology, Hume-child, so long as you tell me what it is for."

His cringe is terribly obvious, and she blinks once with a little confusion. Had he done something to wrong her that she wasn't aware of? Or perhaps he had broken something important on the ship? If that was it, then he would be more willing to face her than Balthier, strange as that was. The magnitude of Balthier's love for his ship was no mystery, and if Vaan had done anything to it, the sky pirate would no doubt treat the situation as if Vaan had done another human severe bodily harm.

"Well, I-I..." Vaan began, stuttering.

Fran, although very curious as to why he's standing her, is too old not to know patience. So she gives him a moment, noting with some amusement that the Hume before her looks almost terrified. Perhaps Balthier's influences have reached her at last, if she finds this to be a source of some hilarity.

"I...uh...do you remember that one time we were in Eruyt?" he said, placing a hand behind his hand nervously as he laughed.

She nodded slowly. There's only been "one time" in Eruyt. He cleared his throat, nervously fidgeting, and she continued waiting.

"Well, y-you...uh...well, Balthier told me to come and tell you sorry for what I did back then!"

Fran had an idea of where this was going, but held back from making her guess vocal. "And may I ask what it was that you did?"

Now Vaan just sighed heavily, lifting his eyes to the heavens imploringly as if to ask if he really had to speak further. Then he recovered a bit, bringing his eyes back down to Ivalice but not looking directly at her. "What I had asked you about...before we left..."

A tiny smile passed over the Viera's lips. Her guess was right. This was about when he'd asked what her age was. Honestly, she had taken no great offense to the question. She naturally lived at least three times longer than Humes, and was therefore free of feeling negatively when questions on the subject came up. The only reason she had walked off without speaking a word, her expression stiff as well as her posture, was because she was in a village she had grown up in all her life that did not welcome her any longer, and was eager to leave the memories behind.

She knows very well that she could give him a gracious nod, pardoning him and sending him on his way to pursue his usual daily activities aboard the ship. But again, she remembers that this Hume is indeed quite young, and will not be so lucky with others as he is with her if he does not think before he speaks. It is a tiny lesson to be learned, but it will help in the long run.

"What was it that you had said about me, Hume-child?" she asked, her face blank as if she didn't remember. Vaan whimpered a little, letting his arms hang to his sides, his expression _begging _her to remember just so he wouldn't have to repeat it. But he was not going to get away with it so easily.

He took in a deep breath, almost closing his eyes as if she were going to unleash some form of fury on him. "I-I had asked you...about your age."

She tapped the tabletop with her fingernails for a moment, as if trying to gather her memory, Vaan messing with the edges of his vest nervously. Then she nodded. "I remember," she said simply.

"Yeah, that's what I came to say sorry for," he said, looking away with some embarrassment. "So, I'm sorry." She looked at him with no harshness, but tilted her head just a little, as a mother would do with her child when she expected him to further explain.

He sighed a little ruefully again, his expression filled with surrender. "I'm sorry I asked you how old you were, it was rude," he said grudgingly, scowling a little as he looked away from her.

And to this, she simply nodded, got up, and picked up her weapon and supplies. "I took no offense to begin with, Hume-child."

He immediately grew surprised. "What? Really?"

She turned her head to look at him, something like a smile playing on her lips as she nodded, and he beamed. Good. He was starting to learn a little more. The Hume before her was growing.

Then she noticed he wasn't moving, looking as if he wanted to ask her something, and she turned around again.

"So...how old are you _really_?" he asked, and she straightened up a bit in surprise. Again, she took no offense, but had the boy learned _anything_ from what had just transpired? She was tempted to give him a withered look.

As if on cue, Balthier walked in, giving the boy a slight scowl as he smacked him lightly upside the head.

"Are you mad? Did you not learn anything from what I just told you?" the sky pirate said.

"Well she said it was okay!" Vaan cried, rubbing the back of his head slightly.

"Just because she said so doesn't mean you should speak so carelessly," Balthier said, crossing his arms as he looked at Vaan with disbelief. "Really, do you hope to be a sky pirate with manners such as yours?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with it!"

"Of course it does," Balthier said, placing a stern hand on the boy's shoulder and bringing him closer to Fran. "Do you think sky pirates only fly and the come to the ground only to remain silent? Gracious." He nudged his head toward his partner, and Vaan winced a little as he bowed his head.

"...Sorry again," he said, looking up at her through his bangs. Fran nodded again to tell him it was alright. She prepared to leave, but Vaan's voice stopped her. "Um...can I help you with those?" he asked, pointing at the supplies in her arms.

She nodded again, and he smiled as he took the supplies and made for the storage room, obviously glad that he hadn't completely screwed up. Fran caught a glimpse of her partner, who had his eyebrows raised considerably in surprise.

"...He learns," Fran said with a smile, and Balthier shrugged. Maybe he wasn't learning to be polite in the way they expected. But he was learning nonetheless.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh look, I guess I haven't forgotten about this story.

No seriously, it took a while to conjure the inspiration for and interaction for these two. Fran and Vaan don't really communicate during the game, if they ever actually _did_.

For those of you who still keep up with this, I apologize for the lag. I will try and be prompt with these. Next up should be Ashe and Vaan (mercy) or Penelo and Vaan.** Special thanks **to **bunannza **and **ZoraAngel **for reviews on the previous chapter!**  
**

Thank you for reading!


	11. Happy Birthday

**Title: **"Happy Birthday"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,378

**Characters: **Vaan and Penelo. Shameless Vaan/Penelo pairing.

**Description: **Birthdays are usually about surprises more than anything. s

* * *

It's a cold day today unfortunately, she thinks to herself as she looks out the window of the Strahl's small storage room. The Paramina Rift will always be colder than she likes, but at least the group is here for a better reason than practice with weapons. Larsa has been staying here for a bit along with Al-Cid, and everyone decided to pay him a visit after running all over Ivalice on miscellaneous errands, right before they go to the Stilshrine of Miriam.

It had been a pleasant surprise on Larsa's part; Penelo could tell by the way his eyes lit up when he saw them come through the door. He'd been reading a book, probably a boring one judging by the unamused look on his face, before Vaan threw open the door with a smile, Penelo right behind him. For all the discomfort Vaan had felt around the little prince before (mainly because the boy was from Archadia), when you really got down to it Vaan considered Larsa a friend, and was therefore considered worth all Vaan's energy and smiles.

Penelo smiled a bit as she rested her arms on the small windowsill. That was one of the things she had always liked about Vaan, even back when they were small children. When Vaan made friends with someone, not matter who they were or even where they were from, he treated them as a person worthy of every good thing in the world. He was always so friendly with everyone.

Speaking of Vaan...

She slowly sat up and sighed a little, gazing at the snowflakes falling outside. Today was his birthday. Everyone had been too busy to recall it, and she'd been so busy that she'd scarcely remembered it. But Vaan hadn't said anything about it once, still laughing with everyone, throwing in the occasional complaint when he didn't want to do something. Back in Rabanastre, even though he tried his best not to show it, he had always liked people to remember his birthday. Birthdays were important days after all, since they were the day of your birth, the day you began to exist in the eyes of others. But he hadn't said a thing this time around.

After remembering it a couple of days ago, she had observed his expression, and it was filled with not even the faintest hint of disappointment. She frowned a little. Another admirable but strange thing about Vaan: when it really came down to it, he didn't usually try to place himself first even when he could or should.

She immediately stood up, moving to the door quickly to go find the others, but then stopped. Maybe…Vaan hadn't said anything because he didn't want to worry everyone? They were all on edge right now, after all. Everyone was a little nervous about what they'd see in the Stilshrine of Miriam, the impending war adding to the edge as well as the new kinds of enemies they had been encountering. And on top of it all, there was the plight of the refugees. Everyone in the crew had been at least a little moved by such a sad-looking group of Humes. No one had time to think of anything else except the problems that needed solving.

She began moving away from the door, but then stopped, an idea suddenly popping into her head. A smile slowly spread across her face. Alright then, if he didn't want to others to remember, fine. But _she _would let him know that she hadn't forgotten.

She took off toward the kitchen, slowly poking her head through the door to check if anyone was there. Most of the crew was outside, trading things or helping the refugees. She had already done her part, spending just about every drop of energy she'd had healing and patching up people. She hadn't wanted to come in, but everyone had demanded she sleep for the rest of the evening to regain her energy. Though physically tired, her mind was wide awake, and she was reassured that she was more than able to at least make a cake or something. At least no one would interrupt her efforts.

It took twice as long, thanks to her dwindling physical energy, but she at last succeeded in making a small cake with fluffy white icing on top, and smuggled it back to the storage room she and Vaan called "home". Once there, she placed the cake on the tiny table in the middle of the room. Then she went to her travel bag and pulled out a tiny case, opening it to reveal two slightly tattered but very lovely, long white ribbons. She smiled at them fondly, running her fingers down one of them. A long time ago when she and Vaan were 9 years old, he had given these to her as an apology present for teasing her to tears. She could still remember the day she found the small box containing these ribbons sitting on her doorstep, his scraggly handwriting on the top indicating that they were for her. She had worn them the very next day, both a little too big on her but still very beautiful in her eyes. She had thanked him with a big smile, and although he pretended like he didn't know what she was talking about, his red face suggested anything but. After that she wore them for special occasions like festivals and birthdays, especially his. But after a while she stopped wearing them, not wanting them to wear out like her other ones. She had wanted them to last, just like everything else they knew before the war. Now these ribbons were some of the only things she had left from those happy days.

She slowly took the ribbons out of the case, taking the plain brown cord out of her hair, trying the silky ribbons into place at the bottom of her braided pigtails. She looked in the mirror, happy to see that the ribbons still hadn't lost their luster. The she heard the doorknob turn, and spun around to see Vaan standing there, looking a little surprised.

Both looked at each other for a moment, and Penelo watched Vaan's eyes go from her face to her hair. A tiny, precious smile tugged at his lips as his eyes fell on the ribbons, his face full of recognition.

"Um...happy birthday?" she said, holding her hands out to the small cake sitting on the table.

"You remembered?" he said, half questioning, half surprised. She nodded happily, and he looked to the side. "...You didn't have to do anything," he said softly.

"Of course I did," she said, walking up to him. "I'm your friend, so I should remember shouldn't I?" Then she noticed him fidget a little, his hands behind his back. "Vaan, what's wrong?"

"Well...I got you something," he said, his smile a little guilty as he slowly brought his hands out from behind his back, a small rectangular box in one of them. "I know you told me to be careful with my money since we're helping the refugees, but…Happy Birthday, Pen."

She started a little, looking up at him with wide eyes. That's right, her birthday was just days away from his. Huh. She hadn't even thought about it. "...Vaan, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Of course I did," he said, giving her pigtails a very light tug. "I'm your friend, so I should remember shouldn't I?" he said, giving her a warm smile.

She looked up at him, a feeling of warmth she couldn't completely explain stirring inside her chest. Finding she couldn't express what she felt in words, she gave him a tender smile and hugged him, saying thank you. After all this trouble they had been going through, he still remembered these little things. That was...really nice.

Then they sat down, eating Penelo's modest little cake, all smiles and laughter as they reminisced on past birthdays, Vaan occasionally teasing Penelo by tugging at her ribbons. They carried on late into the day until the others returned, and when Nono came in to tell them dinner was ready, he found both of them asleep at their tiny table, a few of Vaan's fingers lightly placed over Penelo's.

* * *

**A/N: **Wooooh MAN, look at that sloppy ending! Ugh, I really should stop submitting things late at night...

Anywho, I did the Penelo and Vaan interaction since I couldn't come up with anything for Ashe and Vaan. Next up will be either Vaan or Ashe interactions, or Fran and Basch interactions. Both are quite a doozy. Oh boy oh boy, who's gonna be first? 8D

I _swear_ I will edit this interaction so that it flows more smoothly, and I'll probably change up that so-called "description" to not suck half as bad. For now, give me your honest-to-the-heavens feedback. I tried making the characters as in-character as possible. Pfft. **Special thanks **to **ArchadianRose**, **bunannza**, and **Bluebearsg **for reviewing on the previous chapter!

Thanks for reading! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to give my bed an 8-hour hug.


	12. Shopping

**Title: **"Shopping"

**Rating: **K+

**Word Count: **1,488**  
**

**Characters: **Penelo and Basch. No pairings.

**Description: **Not very many men cannot last long in the life-sucking activity called "shopping"; especially with a woman. Basch is no exception. The least he can do is give words of wisdom.

* * *

"Wait, hold on a second! I want to go in here!"

Basch said nothing, only following a very happy Penelo obediently into a local magicks shop, but inwardly he groaned. This was the third magicks shop they'd been to just to find Curaja, a spell they didn't really need at the moment and a spell Penelo wasn't even _close _to learning yet; she hadn't even mastered Curaga yet. She had, however, insisted that it never hurt to be prepared, and he'd heartily agreed with her when she had said this. He'd even asked if he could accompany her when the group touched ground in Rabanastre for supplies.

But that had been 3 hours ago. And in that approximate time, they had managed to go through 3 weapons shops, 2 armor stores, 4 potions stalls, the gambit shop (the owner had seemed very adamant about explain _ever little _detail) and the bazaar where Penelo had spent almost half an hour haggling with a surly Bangaa for a better price on some trinkets she found. These were, of course, supposed to be for battle, and she had handled her bargaining with a tenacity he hadn't known existed in the 17-year-old. ...But they were still trinkets.

"Basch...Basch! Are you paying attention?"

"Hm?"

In front of him, Penelo frowned minutely as she held up on magicks crystal in each hand. "Come on, Basch! I'm trying to ask you for advice!"

He cleared his throat and shook his head, as if to get himself in the game. "I'm sorry. What was it you needed help with?"

"Well, I know you told me you're better with weapons and shields, but I wanted a second opinion. The shop keeper I just talked with said he has a Curaja crystal here, which he gave to me, but it's a bit…"

"Expensive?"

"Yeah," she said with a wince.

"Curaja isn't inexpensive to begin with," Basch continued, taking vague note of the said shop keeper a little ways behind Penelo, who was trying to be inconspicuous with his constant looks in their direction. The man's eyes were practically turning into gil.

"I know, but still," Penelo said, biting her lip. "It could come in handy."

"And the other crystal?" he asked, nudging his head a little in the direction of her right hand.

"This one is a Flare crystal. It's just as expensive, but it could come in real handy when we go into the desert again, or any place with a large amount of enemies."

He looked in between the two crystals: the Curaja, sending specks of white light against Penelo's palms, and the Flare, red flames dancing inside its receptacle. He turned over the problem in his head. Curaja would come in handy even though Penelo would be learning it much later, because Fran was close to mastering it and even if she didn't use it Penelo eventually would. Then again, it would be a while before Penelo could even think of using it; her skills with magicks were still in need of some work. That left Flare, which _would _come in handy when facing large numbers of enemies at once. Penelo was making faster progress in that sector of magick than in her healing magicks. But then, there was the fact that he could somehow not picture Penelo using something so...destructive quite yet. Nor was he sure she would be able to handle such a power. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to come up with an explanation for what he wanted to say, but then something hit him.

"How much is this?" he asked, taking the Curaja crystal out of her hand.

"Um...13,000 gil?"

He frowned, turning the crystal over in his hand. "That's too much, even for something like this. Normally merchants charge 11,000 gil for Curaja. Is Flare the same price?"

"Yeah."

He took the Flare crystal as well as the Curaja, and placed them back on their respective shelves. "It's no use buying these from here. You're being cheated." Penelo blinked a little in surprise, and Basch lead her toward the door. "I wouldn't trust this shop if I were you."

As they were about to exit, an official-looking man with a simpering smile almost stepped out right in front of them. "Miss Penelo, were you still interested in buying the Curaja we had?"

"Um...no thank you, sir," she said with a polite smile.

"Wait, don't go yet!" the man insisted. "Perhaps I could show you some other –"

"We're not interested. Please excuse us," Basch said plainly, giving the man a very minor glare before he and Penelo kept walking. When they had cleared the shop's vicinity, Basch and Penelo exchanged slightly amused glances before Penelo declared they should get some ice cream.

"I hadn't expected him to just leap out of nowhere like that," Penelo said, eating a bit of her ice cream as she reclined on the bench they (and their shopping) were sharing.

"I also hadn't expected you, the one who haggled for 30 minutes straight in the bazaar, to suddenly become so shy."

Basch hid a quietly triumphant smirk with a bit of his ice cream, and Penelo sat up in indignation. "I didn't want to be rude! Even those kinds of shop keepers still have to work somehow."

"Yes, but perhaps if he were fair he would have more customers," he replied.

"That's true," she conceded, taking another bite of her ice cream cone. "And the glare helped get rid of him," she added, to which he softly chuckled. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "…Basch?"

"Hm?"

"...Do you think I should still search for Curaja, or Flare?"

He sat up a bit. "I mean no offense to you or your skill, but while you are making progress in your magicks, you are far from learning such spells. It is best not to rush such things. I'm sure Fran has told you that."

"Yeah, she has," Penelo said with a guilty smile. "I just wanna learn it all! Every spell there is, I want to learn them! That way, I can help you guys when weapons don't work out."

"If it means anything, Penelo, you are doing a fine job at helping."

Penelo huffed a bit. "People tell me that, but there's always part of me that says I could do better. Kind of like what you told Vaan about sword-fighting. Training and training each day, so you can protect your friends or family, always pushing yourself to do more. That's what I want to do."

He turned to her and smiled a bit. "It's good that you have that feeling. Never let it fade, because it will help you become skilled in what you're learning. But never rush what should be done later. While it is good to prepare, sometimes it is best to remain still and work with what you have."

"So...I should give up on the search for Curaja then?"

"No, I think you should continue your search," Basch said. "But I think you should wait until later for Flare."

"Really? Why?"

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Are you ready to wield such a destructive power?"

They both seemed to think about it for a moment. Basch imagined Penelo using Flare, hands raised above her head and eyes ablaze with righteous fury against any enemy who stood in her way. While believable, this prospect was also odd to him. The girl in such an image did not match the same girl who was sitting on the bench near him, eating her ice cream and swinging her legs back and forth of the edge.

"...Now is not the time, I think," Penelo said, bringing Basch back to the present. "Don't get me wrong; I still want to learn Flare. But, maybe you're right about it being too destructive. It's almost terrifying actually. Can you imagine me using something like that at this point?" she asked, laughing, though she had visibly shivered just a moment ago.

He smiled as the bell tolled 7:00 o'clock in the evening. "No, I cannot." And inwardly, he heaved a sigh of relief. Time, he supposed, would take care of anything standing in the way of her learning Flare. Until then, she could still be the way she was now, without the troubles coming ahead and without that burden on her shoulders that all warriors acquire.

"We should get going," Penelo said, standing up after eating the last bit of her ice cream cone. "It's getting late, and I know we've been out here for longer than we planned," she said with an apologetic smile. He nodded, helping her pick up some of the bags of what she had bought, and they made their way to the western part of the city.

As they walked under the archway of the Aerodrome to meet the others, Penelo spoke up one last time.

"Basch?"

"Yes?"

"...Thanks."

* * *

**A/N: **Welp, it turns out I'm not dead on this story! My muse just kinda ran off and took my brain with it. Really darling, why must you do this to me?

I know I said I would try to come up with something for Fran and Basch or Ashe and Vaan, but I hit a dead end with both (at least I wrote _some _stuff for both of them). So I cranked this out instead! I'm actually pleased with how it turned out, but (to my shame) I am posting this on the same day I wrote it. I just wanted to put something up after leaving this thing hanging for so long! **Special thanks **to **Bluebearsg** and **bunannza **for your reviews!

In other news, school starts very soon! For some of you it starts this upcoming week, and for some of you other _lucky ducks _it starts the week after this upcoming week. You can't make me revert my sleeping schedule back to normal! YOU. CAN'T. MAKE. ME.

Pfft.

Comments are appreciated. Thank you for reading!


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